The US has learned that it will host Cuba, Honduras and Panama in Tampa, Fla., as the CONCACAF announced the draw for the 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Under-23 Championship. The US U23 Mens National Team’s Group A games in Tampa will be played on March 11, 13 and 15. The final schedule match will be announced by CONCACAF at a later date. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico, and will begin on March 12 in Carson, Calif.
Both The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., will host three doubleheaders each in group play from March 11-16, while LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23. Series tickets for the group matches, along with the semifinals and final in Nashville, Tenn., go on sale Wed., Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. local time in each market. A series ticket consists of all matches scheduled at a single venue.
Fans can order series tickets -- priced from $36 to $195 depending on the seating area and number of match days included in the series – online at ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities. Individual match day tickets for doubleheaders at each venue will go on sale at a later date, pending availability.
In Tampa and Los Angeles supporters of each team will have seats at every price level set aside for their fans, allowing fans of the same country to sit together. Fans must order online to choose from this allotment. In Nashville, where the participating teams won’t be known until several days before the semifinal round, seating during the initial sale will be allocated (based on the local population) for U.S.A., Mexico, and mixed/neutral fan sections at each price level.
The U.S. will be led by Peter Nowak, who was named the team’s head coach on Aug. 8, 2007. Nowak has worked with both the Men’s National Team and the Under 23s since December of 2006, assisting U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley. Nowak’s squad has just returned from a two-game tour in China, where the young US side tied China 0-0 on Dec. 13 and then 3-3 vs. China again on Dec. 16.
2008 CONCACAF Under 23 Tournament – Olympic Qualifying
– Tournament Details –
Event: Eight-team tournament to decide two CONCACAF positions at 2008 Olympics
Dates: March 11-23, 2008
Venues: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.); LP Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
Teams - Group A (Tampa): Cuba, Honduras, Panama, USA; Group B (Carson): Canada, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico
– Tournament Schedule –
Group A
Date Matches Venue Kickoff Times
March 11 Group stage Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. ET
March 13 Group stage Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. ET
March 15 Group stage Raymond James Stadium; Tampa, Fla. 4:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. ET
Group B
Date Matches Venue Kickoff Times
March 12 Group stage The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT
March 14 Group stage The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. 5:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT
March 16 Group stage The Home Depot Center; Carson, Calif. 3:30 p.m. & 6 p.m. PT
Knockout Round
Date Matches Venue Kickoff Times
March 20 Semifinals LP Field; Nashville, Tenn. 5 p.m. & 8 p.m. CT
March 23 Third Place & LP Field; Nashville, Tenn. 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. CT
Championship